The top model of a car company’s lineup usually seems to be a four-door luxury sedan, or a convertible, if there is a convertible in the mix. When it’s a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Coupe with a unique hot-bent-wire glass rear window, it’s even better. This very cool Caprice is listed here on eBay in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and there is an unmet opening bid suggestion of $6,000.
That’s a great profile, in my opinion. Two-door versions of these big “sedans” are somewhat rare to see today, although there were just over 60,000 of them made for 1978. The clincher is that very cool hot-wire rear window with a unique manufacturing process using a hot wire to bend the glass. Oldsmobile used a similar process for its second-generation Toronado XS/XSR models, which was almost twice as expensive as the Caprice. The Landau Coupe added a partial vinyl top and required drivers to wear a burnt orange leisure suit at all times while in the proximity of the vehicle. Just kidding. This car had a vinyl top, but the original owner had it removed, according to the seller.
The third-generation Caprice was made from 1976 through 1989 for the 1977 through 1990 model years, and they came in this two-door body style, as well as a four-door sedan and four-door wagon. What if they had made a folding hardtop convertible that disappeared behind the rear seat, just for something different? The 1978 models used the same engines as in the previous year, but, trying to cope with gas prices and fuel mileage, axle ratios were lowered a bit. You can see that the rear bumper filler material is toast, so plan on changing that, and maybe the front, as that also presumably had the same sun beating on it outside for who knows how many years.
The seller mentions a confusing timeline for this car, and the listing is a little hard to decipher at times. The mileage is listed as 15,538, but the odometer photo shows 14,956. You can see cracks in the dash and steering wheel, missing trim, and other interior or at least dash-area flaws. They say this car was owned by a WWII vet (tip of the hat) and was being taken care of by another party, who left it outside for an unknown period of time, which subsequently caused the interior sun damage.
The current owner has had it for two years. I’m presuming this is how the car looked when they got it, after it had been sitting outside, with its original wheel covers. There’s no word on the wheel covers. I’d put those back on ASAP if I owned this car. The seats appear to have been spared the ravages of the hot Pennsylvania sun (?) that claimed the dashboard and headliner. The good news is that the seller has replaced the headliner, and it looks great.
The world’s smallest non-Holley aftermarket air cleaner awaits the next owner’s detailing duties, although those inner fender liners look like new for some odd reason, while everything else looks dirty. Hmmm… This is Chevy’s small block 305-cu.in. OHV V8, which was rated at 135 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque when new. It passes through a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic to the rear wheels, and the seller doesn’t say how it runs, but I’m assuming it runs. They say there is no rust and no rot on this car and it does look great, other than the interior issues. Any thoughts on this Caprice Classic Coupe?
It appears that the seller posted some pictures of the car wet, to give it an extra glossy finish!
A window must have not been fully closed while it sat outside, given the amount of rust on the shifter handle. Looks to have good potential.
GLWTA!! :-)
Sitting outside or not the condition doesn’t support the mileage claimed. More likely 115K. I was selling Chevy in ‘78 and sold and drove many of them. They’re nice drivers. Also, this one doesn’t appear to have AC which would have been an anomaly and makes it far less desirable. If I wanted one of these for whatever reason I’d keep looking as there are far better examples out there.
When mileage claimed by a seller that is not supported by documentation and/or condition I wish it it was either ignored in the writeup or referenced with a term such as unverified or claimed but undocumented.
Steve R
The seller’s story about this car is so filled with BS that I would never inquire about this car.
I would absolutely believe that this was a car that was owned by a WWII vet and/or his wife. I’d bet that the guy begrudgingly got an automatic because a. his wife was going to drive it, and b. they didn’t come with manuals. AC? Of course not. If you figure that the average age of a soldier in WWII was about 25, give or take a few years, that means in 1978 he’d be about 60. And this is 100% the car he’d get…
Don’t know what the author has against rally wheels but they look perfect on this car, so much better than standard hubcaps. They appear to be the 8” wide Corvette version which makes them even better.
Nice 2 door Caprice here. What I see rust on the shifter handle, and the heater hoses are stretched very tight. Looks good with the ralley rims. I owned a 1977 4 door in the early 1990’s with the same drive train 350 with a 2 barrel carb and it ran great in the NJ weather. This one just needs some more cleaning up. By the way that rear glass I think was only on these 2 doors for a couple of years and is expensive to find and replace.
The rear glass is interesting. It was made using a hot wires to create the tight bends.
The “Hot Wire” Process Explained (Google)
The innovative manufacturing technique, developed by Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) and termed “Hot Bent Wire technology,” allowed a single sheet of glass to be formed into extreme angles and tight turns that were previously difficult to achieve with standard automotive glass production methods.
I have a friend who is well to do. He lived in a neighborhood where Mercedes and BMW were the brands usually parked in area’s driveways and garages. He however, collected and raced Corvettes. So when it cam time to buy the wife new car. He purchased the twin to this car. (It may have even been the same year.) He called it a paper plate car. It did its job adequately and without fuss. Just the thing he didn’t have to worry about.
There’s no way that’s a 15,000 mile car. Cool, but no way it’s what the seller claims.
I have a friend who is well to do. He lived in a neighborhood where Mercedes and BMW were the brands usually parked in area’s driveways and garages. He however, collected and raced Corvettes. So when it cam time to buy the wife new car. He purchased the twin to this car, but without the rally wheels. (It may have even been the same year.) He called it a paper plate car. It did its job adequately and without fuss. Just the thing he didn’t have to worry about.
car is still wearing spiral rear shocks and they are factory. bit rusty but if conditions were not controlled this will happen. even the bumper fillers look good. most WW2 vets kept their cars in garages. i do believe the mileage claim. looks great with vette rallies/tires. i would buff it up and tint out the back window. and try to replace the faded-out items. personally, i would the Edelbrock carb and put a healthy q jet on it or even a strong s/b 350or 400.courious to see how high it goes
The bumper filler in the back isn’t even there. It has cracked away in pieces and you can just barely see little bits of it. I have a 78 just like this and mine is starting to do the same but I have 31k miles and it’s always been garaged.
No doubt this has 115k on it. Still, presents well at a reasonable price and it appears to have been cared for. Non A/C is a deal breaker, and there are better examples out there.
I have a 78 2-door Landau the exact same color with 31k original miles. Mine looks much better but it’s also always been garage-kept. I’m torn on the accuracy of the miles but it is certainly plausible. It’s got a lot of potential for the price.
You do not want to raise these non centered headrests. Not sure what GM was thinking doing that on some cars back then – maybe they thought older drivers who bought these cars drove with their head close to the side glass or even resting on the glass?!
I bet they would have sold a lot more of these 2 doors if the door glass was FRAMELESS like on prev gens – which would make it a lot easier(with the window down) to get in & out of the car – in a narrow garage.
Auction update: this one sold for $7,000.
I have owned both the ’78 Caprice Landau & a ’79. The biggest drawback I ran into trying to restore the 79 was finding good plastic for the interior. Also, my 79 had the Moonroof. That rubber seal was priced at ” How badly do you need it”
Chevy junk yard in AZ had it. But those cars were so smooth & quiet.